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Though the writing process looks different for everyone, it can be broken down into five general steps. At any step in the writing process, you may schedule an appointment with the Center for Writing and Academic Success to work with a writing coach that will guide you in developing your skills.  

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Step 1: Prewrite

Also known as the "invention" stage, at this point you will create a topic and narrow​ the topic down to a specific idea or question. The prewriting stage also includes reading relevant literature and/or collecting data for analysis. View our page “Step 1: Prewriting/​ Selecting a Topic​" for strategies that you can use to develop your own prewriting skills.

 

Step 2: Outlining/ Planning

The outlining stage of the writing process ensures that you have direction for your paper. While it may feel like more work, taking the time to write a rough outline may save lots of time later in the process. It is important to note that the outline can be adjusted and never has to be the "end all, be all" of what the final paper ​​will look like. For more resources and guidance, view our page “Step 2: Outlining & Planning​."

 

Step 3: First Draft

First drafts are often referred to as "sloppy first drafts" because they are not the final product. When writing your first draft, the focus is on getting your ideas and thoughts onto the page​​​​​​​​. Errors related to formatting and grammar can be fixed later in the process. Here, you are focusing on developing your argument and/or forming ideas. For more infor​mation and tips, check out our page “Step 3: The First Draft​." 

 

Step 4: Revision

Sometimes referred to as "redrafting," this is when you make adjustments to the ideas presented in your paper. Focus here is on flow and organization, not grammar. To understand more about the foundations of revision, view our page “Step 4: Revision.​" 

 

Step 5: Editing/Proofreading

Here is where you focus on making changes to your paper to ensure that it meets all formatting expectations. In addition, at this stage you can scan and check for errors in grammar and mechanics. To understand more about the foundations of editing, check out our page “Step 5: Editing."